23rd, 2026 City Commission meeting, I want to call this meeting to order.

It's good to have everybody out on this beautiful night.

So we are going to start with an invocation and pledge of allegiance by our City Attorney Jackie.

Thank you.

Let us begin this meeting by taking a brief moment of silence and reflection.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the United States.

And to the Republic for which it says one nation.

Okay, we have one presentation tonight, and it will be the uh Purple Heart Recognition Day 2026 proclamation.

And I'm actually going to do that one myself.

Umil Order of the Purple Heart, Reverend Uh Swick and all of you come on out.

If you would, and I'll read the proclamation.

Whereas August 7, 2026 marks the 244th anniversary of the inception of the Purple Heart Award and the 94th anniversary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and whereas August 7th has been officially designated as National Purple Heart Recognition Day in honor of those American veterans who have earned the military tribute by virtue of their bravery and their sacrifice.

And whereas the Purple Heart is specifically awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces that has been wounded or killed in combat with a declared enemy of the United States.

Now therefore, I am Maureen Mofrany, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Dunedin, Florida, and on behalf of the entire City Commission, do proudly proclaim Friday, August 7, 2026, as Purple Heart Recognition Day in Dunedin, and ask everyone to pause and remember those extraordinary men and women and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom and those who are willing to make that ultimate sacrifice and to pray for the safety of all those defending our nation today.

Father Swook, you want to come up in the United States.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, Councilman.

I really appreciate the fact that I can be here again.

I'm originally from this chapter, and I am the newly elected State Commander for Purple Heart.

Um so I just want to remind you guys every time I I talk about you guys.

Number one, Dunedin, the first Purple Heart city in the state of Florida.

So I always pump that out there to them.

And uh in the fact at the national level, you guys uh we are the between the second and third most popular state of Purple Heart veterans.

So at the national level, the state of Florida carries a lot of weight.

So we are able to get up there and get a lot of votes in it and kind of gear our our national charter to where we want it to, and Florida's leading the way.

So thank you very much.

Uh invite everybody here.

Uh August 7th, Purple Heart Day.

I will be your guest speaker, so come on out.

We hope to see you there.

Good evening.

My name is Scott Daniels.

I'm on the committee for 18 years, so I can tell you that for 18 years, City of Dunedin has been a leader as it is with many other things in the sense of recognition of what's good and well and important in our city, our state, and our country.

I'm on the committee because I asked to volunteer to help somehow because my father received a Purple Heart when he was in World War II.

And I'm the oldest of four children, and I get to keep my father's purple heart.

I also get to introduce our guest speaker each year.

I'll be introducing Richard on August 7th at 10 o'clock in the morning downtown by the Purple Heart Memorial Area.

But I want to thank you, City Council, staff of the City of Dunedin, Parks and Rec, who really made it very nice for our Purple Heart veterans, all our veterans, all of our citizens in Dunedin to be able to celebrate people who care about our country, care about freedom, and care about recognizing when good deeds are done.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And let us pray.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You know, we are the first Purple Heart city here in the State of Florida.

And we're very proud of that.

This community is one of the most patriotic communities I've ever run across in my uh many years.

Um I came from one up north, and I thought that was a proudest the most patriotic place I've ever been until I came to Dunedin.

Uh we have a spirit here of patriotism that uh we should emulate across our country.

Um I thank you, Mayor uh Mo and all your commissioners for all that you do in your leadership to promote that patriotism.

Uh we need it in our country today.

And the city of uh Clearwater, uh City of Clearwater, this isn't me.

City of Dunedin uh prints out Purple Heart recognition ceremony uh flyers, and I would like to.

Was that God calling?

I get very nervous every now and then.

But I'd like to share these with you first.

Uh and they'll be printed out and be passed out throughout the uh community shortly.

Yeah, and I do want to say uh Vice Mayor Walker is not here tonight because he's on business out of town, out of state, actually, and uh of course he's the only vet that's up here, and uh so he probably wouldn't normally read the Purple Heart Proclamation, but uh he uh uh you know all of us are just proud of all of you and what you do and what you've done.

So that's great.

And we're gonna get a picture too after we're gonna be.

I mean you want to get a picture.

Thank you very much.